Coupling for railway and like vehicles



1952 J. c. G. cossEY EI'AL 2, 2,747

COUPLING FOR RAILWAY AND LIKE VEHICLES Filed Feb. 25, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 15, 1952 J. c. G. COSSEY ETAL 2,582,747

COUPLING FOR RAILWAY AND LIKE VEHICLES Filed Feb. 25, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 2 In H CiZ'Z/i/OES Jan. 15, 1952 J. c. G. cossey ETAL COUPLING FOR RAILWAY AND LIKE VEHICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 Patented Jan. 15, 1952 l COUPLING FOR RAILWAY AND LIKE;

\ (VEHICLES CecilFGeorg'e' Cossey "and -'Georg'e--Henry Sinith',-- Wo]verhampton,: England; assignors to (A. BWLC; Coupler & EngineeringrCompanyLim- .i' .iited,;Wlverhampton, England A'pplicatio'n February 25,1948, Serial N'of.10,654

V In GreatBritaimMar'cht,1947

' 12:0laims.

l 1 *lIhisinvention- --re1ates to couplings for" con- "nectingrailway aiid lik'e vehicles.

In the specification of our co-pendiri'g- British "application-N0; 17,744of1945 we have described land claimed a""form of--'coupling-"-com'prising a 'coupling' "member adapted to be inserted-into ithe coupler hea'd of'-the vehicle; and a coupling --pin adapted 'topreventwemoval ofthe -'-member "ifrom the headwhile permitting-rotation of'the coupling member relative-"tethe coupling head? """the"arrangement'"b'eing such that while -adapta- "ble' for general applicatiomit will be particularly suitable for the-*coupling together of a: trainor wseries' of "vehicle's desi-gned to be emptied by tipping about a longitudinal axis since, with the 'said couplings, each of the series-of-wa-gons can be moved to thetippingstation and-tipped inturn "without the necessity for disconnectionfrom or re-connection with the adjacent wagons the train or series.

The present invention-has for its obje'ct to devise further improvements in such couplings, and-the invention consists in the 'provision' of -means' by =which the operation of coupling-may be performed automatically. The invention'also consists in air-automatic coupling according to the preceding paragraph inwhich the act'of uncoupling two' vehicles will 'automatically set- *the coupling in position for automatic coupling. Further -i'eatures of -the invention- @will' beap- ==-parent from the des'cription' given hereafter.

i --The accompanying -::drawings-* 4 illustrate -one mode of carrying out the invention.

Figure -1- is a part sectional end elevation of a convenient'iorm of coupler-accordance with the invention on the linel- *I 'of- -Figure 2. i' 'Figure- 2 is asection-on -the -line--2 2 or Figure 4.

" 1 I 4 Figure :3 is a slmilar vlew' tO -FiguraI-"butshOW- ing the coupleriinverted.

Figure :4 iiszaazplan :partlyin sectionon the ne 4:" ;4rof:'1i'igure 1.

Figures :5 :.-.'and =6 arer1ragmentary sectlonal iews showing details. Figures-:6. 31s. onethealine 16-96 DfZ'FigUI'BK-Liand :ihgurerfi-is azzsimilarwiew'; with the.;r..coup1ing nverted.

qFiguretfl is ailisimilar-Lwiew tmEigui-ewlwonithe a ine. .1.i0- figure::2. but showing-thewcouplerset u.positionsformngmlnlin Figureaa-showsanraiternatiyeiormptzcoupllng pint-a ,gure 9,.isga sectionmtaken;o ig liness+a of l-J' ur 6- Incarryingr our invention intoiefiect ima one convenient--manner we form-our improvedsxcoupling with a couplingsmember in"the.=*.form' of :a pinadapted to be inse'rted in'tothe coupler heads of adjacent vehicles, thezpinl beingflformed with a central cylindrical portion a and two cm 'larged'end portions or heads a a the: 'saidi"portions being separated from one -.another by grooved portions a a of reduced'diametersi: iEach of the :head' members a a =is preferably-chamferecl' or made somewhat conical upon its outer flared 'asat 0 the arrangement facilitating the entry of a" coupling member into its '--coupler.

'I'he-coupIerhead of the vhicle is formed with "a'hole or holes-passing therethrough in avertical plane parallel with the face' of the coupler head and -into this hole orthese holes a coupling 'pin d in the form-of a,-U-- piece is" adapted to be inserted. V

The inverted -Uasha'ped coupling pin-*in apre- :ferred construction is of substantially.rectangular cross sectiom the lowerends of the legs (I .ubeing spaced sufiiciently far :apart to allow the enlarged portions or "heads-(1 a or the coupling' 1.: members to pass between them; while the upper 1 ends 0f the legs= are spaced "closer' together and 0 the: insides of these upper 'parts are suitably :shaped to r pass into the inner grooved portion :u a of the coupling member infront (if-"the heads thereon, thus preventing withdrawal of I the coupling member from the coupler head' a1- though permitting rotation of the coupling' mem- *ber: within the coupler head; -Gonven'iently the :coupling pin may be' pr'ovided atits upperpart ith :a'handle d to enable it tobe 'lifted to the ready foruncoupling position (shown "in-Figure 40 7 and meansisuch as rivets d passing" through the-lowers ends of the-legs prevent removal' o1 zmthe pinirom the couplerhead. a

if The :coupling pin" also has rearwardly-extend- 1:: ingiproj ections 0r 1ugs d -betwee'n' which-is :pivot- 5 allyzmounted alatch 'e se balanced that its nora: mal-zztendency is for-the lower-"-portion'-to*'swlng awards the adjacent head of the coupling-membenzand to permit of i this movementzth'e latch lpassesrthrough a slot"-'f f'-=-formed in the upper art ofcthe:coupler headg the slot'being of two idths or which-the narrower" portion f is adjaent --:ortcommunicates: with the: hole or holes for -=the;coupling; pin. I ifiI'hexlatch is: provided iwith projections e on eitherzasidezs which canpass through the-wider portion of the slot but which extend beyond the sides of the narrower portion of the slot for a purpose hereinafter described.

When two vehicles approach each other and automatic coupling .is to take place the respective couplers and coupling parts will be disposed as follows:

One coupler will carry the coupling memberin the bore of the coupler head and the coupling pin will be in its lowermost orcoupled position,

in which position the front of the latch will rest against the end of the coupling member as. shown, for example, in full lines for the right hand coupler head seen in Figure '2. The other coupler which will not carry a coupling-member will be in its ready-to-couple position, that is, with the coupling pin raised-lasshown in dotted lines for the left-hand coupler head in Figure 2) and maintained in the raised position by the projections 6 on the side of the latch i'- resting -on thetop of either side of the narrow -zrpor'tion of theslot in the upper wall of the coupler head and with the bottom'end ofthe latch projecting into the bore 'or' chamber of trthe'coupler head. 7 t;-' When the two vehicles approach the projecting-portion of the coupling member in the right- ':-t'hand'coupler enters the ,boreof the left-hand {Zr-coupler head which isready for coupling, the en- :larged"portion or'head a of the couplingmem- :1 her passes'between the lower ends of the legs d ::0f, the raised "coupling pin until the top of the chamfered outer end or face ofthe coupling iimember contacts the front of the bottom end of c- *the latch which is projecting into the 'bore' of zz'sthe coupler head, and as the couplers continue 57 to approach'each other they latch is turned about -its pivot in a direction away from the coupling 5;- ;pin, (that is iclockwise in Figure'2) so that the rglprojections e on the side of the latch disengage ';from;the narrower p rtion j of the slot in the coupler head, the latch slides down thechamfered 'end ofithe coupling "member' and the coupling pin falls by gravity into its coupled posi- :;;.tion', that is,i1with-the upper ends of the legs 5 "of the coupling pin passing into the inner grooved,-'portion of the coupling member: as shown*:in*3Figure 1. The couplers: are now in theircoupledpositionas shown in full lines in ;';Figure 2 and in operation the draw stresseszwill be taken by the contacting surfaces betweenfthe coup g pins in both coupler heads and the 3 coupling member, while the bufiing will be perr formed 57 the contacting of the faces of the ;-coupler;headsb b j r '5 When uncouplingis to be carried'out the f coupling pinis raised by means of its handle and carries with'it the latchwhich rides up the -chamfered.ends of the coupling member, the bottom end of the latch turns by gravity towards 3 the coupling pin, enters the narrow portion of the slot in the coupler head and seats itself on top of "the enlarged portion o'rhead of the d coupling member, all as shown in the dotted line'position on the right hand coupler head of Figure 2."- The coupler'is now in'gthe. ready to fl uncouple position; when the vehicles move apart the coupling member withdraws from the coupler -head,fthe enlarged portion or head of the vcoupling member "passes between the lower ends -50; thejlegs of the inverted U-shaped coupling pin -;;and.releases the latch the bottom end'ofwhich was seated on the head of the coupling member. W;hen the 'head 'of the" coupling member "with- "draws'ifrom under the end -'of the; latch the 4 coupling pin and latch fall until the projection! on the sides of the latch seat themselves on top of either side of the narrow portion of the slot in the upper wall of the coupler head leaving 5 the bottom vend of the, latch projecting into the cylindrical boreor chamber 'offthehcoupler head.

The coupler is now in the ready to couple posi- 'tion. It will be noted that when the coupling pin is lifted for uncoupling the latch will hold it up irrespective of the mutual position of the two adjacent coupler heads as the latch rests on the coupler member itself.

An alternative'arrangement of coupling pin is shown in; Figurel8, in which a spring h secured by a washer 7', and rivet Ia on top of a cross-piece I, connected by rivets m to the lower ends of the 1 legs of the 'U-shaped coupling pin; the spring when compressed between the bottom of the -=cou-pler head and the cross-piece assists in retaining the latch in position when its projections e are seated on top of either side of the narrow portion 1 of the slot in the upperwall of the couplerheadh The latch e is provided with finger grip'means such as a hole e? near thev top of the latch to enable thelower end of the latch to be manually turned away from the coupling .pin and cause the projections on the sides. of the latch to. be

unseated from the-top of eitherside of the nar- 80 row por-tion of the slot Pin, the upper wall of the couplerhead so that the'latch andthe coupl qj pin-can fall to their;.coupled positions in the coupler head when it is desired that coupling shall not take place or when the coupler is not in service.

The couplers maybe connected to the headstock, part of the underframe of a vehicle orto the frame ofa bogie truck of a, vehicle by known means such as a drawbar passing'through the 40 headstock or frame member withdraw and buff- 1 ing springs and spring casings at front and rear vof headstock or it may, bepivoted by means of a drawbar and swing links supporting thedraw and buffing springs at the rear of the headstock .5 or frame. This latter known arrangement is preferred where vehicles have to traverse curves ofsmallradius u j. V H In either of theabove and'other methods of -c0nnection. the drawbar. may. be integral: with the coupler head or it may Joe secured to the coupler head by suitable means such' as pins, rivets or cotters or it'may be pivotally connected to the coupler headby a vertical or horizontal Couplers. according to this invention are particularly suitable for attachment to goods vehicles: or mine cars carrying ore, coal, coke; grain, etc. in which the vehicle is emptied by tipping it on its side or by revolving it on a longitudinal axis; Such vehicles also often haveto negotiate sharp curves and crossover roads.

In one application where'we propose to employ these couplers each vehicle of atrain of vehicles approaches'in turn a turntable andcage'in'which 55 it is revolved on a longitudinalaxis' and its con- "tents dumped 'into a "pit below the-turntable, the: centre line of the couplers being the axis about which the vehicle is turned. In thisand 'f similar applications the couplers at both ends 0 of the vehicle tobe emptied revolve with 'the vehicle whilst the-couplers on the vehicles in front and behind the vehicle to be emptied remain stationary with their vehicles f'lhis is achieved in the automatic couplers constructed according to this invention by making the smegma coupling member and inside-walls of the coupler head of substantially circular cross sectionpzthe coi-ipling mem ber "being capable of revolving between the legs of the coupling pin in the coupler head," the inverted position ofthe couplerbeing shown in' Figure'3.

Whenthecouplers turn with the vehicleto whichsthey -are -fitted, locks ghinged'between lugs formed on either side ofthe top of the coupler head by means oi pins-or rivets 9 turn by gravity into a position in which -'-the' lips or projecting sides g of the locks move under the rearwardly extending projections d on the coupling pin to which the latch is mounted .and retain :the coupling pin and latch in their coupled positions as shown in Figure 5. .These locks serve another useful purpose as shown in Figure 6. When the coupling pin is raised and the hinged lock on'top of the'coupler-head-is turned to the vertical posiuse; the' lip g again engages under the memd and' the-coupling pin -is retained in its inoperative position so that "buffing without coupling can take place.

Under certain conditions it may be found desirable always to retain the coupling members in the coupler heads either at the front or rear of vehicles and it is perhaps better to do so for instance if the vehicles are not to be turned round end for end on the track.

Coupling members can be retained in the coupler heads of couplers made according to the invention either at the front or rear of the vehicles as desired in the following manner:

Assume the ,coupling member is in the head of the coupler in which it is to be retained and the coupling pin and latch are in their coupled positions, the locks g are raised to a vertical position when the lips or projecting sides 9 of the locks surmount the tops of the rearwardly extending projections d on the coupling pin. The

' locks 9 have holes 9 through which a bolt, rivet, pin or the like can be passed to secure the locks in this position with the lips of the locks surmounting the projections on the coupling pin. With the locks in this position the coupling pin cannot be lifted in the coupler head, and the coupling member therefore will be retained or locked in the coupler head. If the couplers with the coupling members locked in their coupler heads are at the front of each of the vehicles in a train the couplers at the rear of each of these vehicles will be without coupling members.

It will be understood that the foregoing details of construction are given byway of example only to indicate the nature of the invention and not to limit its scope, and we may vary the form of coupler head, coupling member, coupling pin, latch and lock of the couplings herein described to suit the practical requirements of the vehicles or railway that may have to be fulfilled. For ex ample, the heads a a of the coupling member may be made somewhat spherical and the outer ends 0 of the cylindrical bore of the coupler heads may be formed with a radius.

We claim:

1. A coupling for railway vehicles and the like comprising in combination a coupling member adapted to be inserted into the coupler head of a vehicle, a coupling pin adapted to be inserted into the coupler head to retain the coupling member in position in the coupler head, and latch means carried by the coupling pin to hold the same in uncoupled position and to effect automatic coupling and passing through a slot formed in the upper part of the coupler head,

the slot 'beingiof two 'wldthsfof "which the man rower portion is nearer the coupling epineandrsaid latch means being provided with projections-ion" --2. A coupling according to claim .1i,in which the coupling member and coupling pin are shaped so thata coupled vehicle maybe tipped or revolved about a longitudinal axis for emptying 31A 'coupling according to claim '1' in-which the coupling member adapted to 'befinsertedinto the coupler head is formed with enlarged head portions and-with an enlarged centre portion separated from the head portions by grooved parts.

*4. A coupling according to claim'3 'in which the coupling pin is'of U-shape and has the lower ends :of the legs spaced-sufliciently far apart to allow the head of the coupling member to Pass between "them while the upper ends ofthe legs are spaced closer together and the insides of these upper parts are suitably shaped to pass into the grooved part and in front of the head portion of the coupling member.

5. A coupling according to claim 1 in which finger grip means are provided in the latch means whereby the latch may be released to put the coupler out of service.

6. A coupling for railway vehicles and the like comprising in combination a coupling member adapted to be inserted into the coupler head of a vehicle, a coupling pin adapted to be inserted into the coupler head to retain the coupling member in position in the coupler head and a latch carried by the coupling pin to hold the same in uncoupled position and to eifect automatic coupling, said latch being pivotally mounted between rearwardly extending lugs on the coupling pin and passing through a slot formed in the upper part of and projecting into the coupler head and being so balanced that its normal tendency is for its lower portion to swing towards the adjacent head of the coupling member, said slot being of two widths of which the narrower portion is nearer the coupling pin and said latch having projections on each side which can pass through the wider portion of the slot but which extend beyond the sides of the narrower portion of the slot.

7. A coupling according to claim 6 comprising a spring adapted to be compressed between the bottom of the coupler head and the coupling pin to assist in retaining the projecting sides of the pivoted latch in position on either side of said narrow slot in the top of the coupler head.

8. A coupling accordin to claim 6 in which the outer face of the head of coupling member has chamfered ends.

9. A coupling for railway vehicles and the like comprising in combination a coupling member adapted to be inserted into the coupler head of a vehicle the coupling member and coupler head being so shaped that a coupled vehicle may be tipped or revolved about a longitudinal axis for emptying, a coupling pin adapted to be inserted into the coupler head to retain the coupling ".iember in position in the coupler head, latch means carried by the coupling pin to hold the same in uncoupled position and projecting into is? tipped orlr'evolved about a longitudinal axis order to retain the coupling pin in the coupled positionilp t i 10; Alcoupling according to claim'9 comprising? locks hingedbetweenlugs formed on either side of the top of the coupler head and adapted to turn by gravity when-the coupler turns with the vehicles to which it is fitted, and lips or proj'ecting sides on the hinged locks which when the locks turn by gravity move under the rearwardly extending projections on the coupling pin to retain'the -coupling pin and the latch in their coupledpositions. v

11. A coupling according to claim 9 in which, the rearwardly extending projections on the coupling pin are so shaped that after raising the coupling pin in the coupler head, the locks on either side of the top of -the coupler head can be turned to a vertical position "in which the projecting sides of the locks engage under the rearwardly extending projections on the coupling pinto hold the coupling pin in a, neutral position to enable bufling without coupling totake place.

= 12. A coupling holes are provided in the locks for the reception of a bolt or rivet to secure the locks in a vertical position in which the projecting sides of the locks surmount the rearwardly extending projections on the coupling pin thus locking the coupling member in the coupler head.

JOHN CECIL GEORGE COSSEY. GEORGE HENRY SMITH.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES 1,680,115 Robinson Aug. '7, 1928 according to claim 10 in which 

